spring cleaning
by AGENT Kuma-chan
Summary: Yoosung wasn't sure if he signed up for charity work or torture.


**Title: **spring cleaning

**Characters/Pairings:** Rika, Yoosung

**A/N:** For the Rika Zine! I wanted to do a bit of Rika and Yoosung's relationship, before it all went wrong.

**Summary:** _Yoosung wasn't sure if he signed up for charity work or torture. _

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Dried by the harsh sun, the once soft soil had hardened until it was like armour. Rika pressed her fingers against the cracked earth, tracing the web-like lines that laced the surface. After a few minutes of prodding, she found a weak spot and pushed her trowel into it. The metal barely scratched the surface.

This garden clearly hadn't been cared for in months. Frowning, she gripped her trowel tighter and shoved it in harder. Eventually, the earth gave in, revealing the dark earth underneath. An exposed worm wriggled from a hole, showing a good sign that at least the soil had some nutrients left.

"This is impossible!" Yoosung grunted next to her. Sweat dripped down his face as he stood, back bent, a shovel in both hands. Earlier in the morning, he had confidently taken the tool from her, claiming that he could handle the heavy labour. Now if she were to ask, Rika was certain the answer would be different. "Am I hitting a rock? Is this all rock?"

Rika chuckled, sitting back. Her knees sank into the brittle grass, a soft cracking as stems broke under her weight. "This garden hasn't been taken care of properly," she agreed, clasping her hands on her lap.

"That's an understatement." Yoosung shot her a baleful look, his eyes watery. Her teenage cousin had a sense of drama to him and she half-wondered if he should take the stage with Zen one day. "You sure this is even a garden?"

"Hmmm…" Slowly, Rika glanced around her. They were in the middle of a closed off courtyard, placed in the center of a senior center. Tall brick walls rose around diamond-shaped space, with a short path meandering through it from one doorway to another. There were two benches along the path and a large tree, its branches bare. Turning back to Yoosung, she cocked her head. "It looks like one."

Yoosung flushed a bright red. Rubbing his wrists, he turned away and mumbled, "Well, yeah, I know that much, but…"

She giggled once more. Her cousin was adorable. Still, she couldn't let him get too sore, not when he had school the next day. Standing up, she brushed the dirt off her cotton skirt. "We can take a break if you want."

Yoosung perked up, excited. The shovel almost fell out of his hands. "Ye—" Quickly, he closed his mouth. He straightened his spine, standing straight and tall. "I can still work."

"Really?" Rika glanced at his determined face. Yoosung really did like to push himself above and beyond what was required. Even this, helping her with all of her volunteer work, was something she didn't expect from a highschool student. It certainly wasn't the most exciting way for a kid to spend the day.

"R-really." His arms trembled as he lifted the shovel once more, his body revealing just how worn out he was. Patches of sweat and dirt stained his ratty old t-shirt, an indication of just how much effort he'd put in so far. "I'm good."

How stubborn. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she closed her eyes wearily. "It's hot for a spring day. Water would be nice, don't you think?"

"Water?" Yoosung swallowed, his grip loosening.

"And maybe a snack—we've been at this for hours, after all." Rika rubbed her belly with a sigh. It wasn't a complete lie; there had been a soft, gnawing in the pit of her stomach for a while now.

"…me too," he admitted, finally letting go of the shovel. He gave one last look at the garden they'd spent almost the entire morning on.

While it wasn't much progress, it looked much better than it had when they'd first arrived. The courtyard had three flowerbeds, all in various states of disrepair. Considering how long the first one was taking them, it'd be a couple of weekends before they got the senior center's courtyard into a useable condition. At least this particular flower bed was cleared of all the dead plants now.

Well, almost all the dead plants. A single, withered sunflower stalk stood at the edge of the bed. Noticing Yoosung's hesitation, she gave one final push. "How about we take a break after pulling out that plant?"

"Yes." Eager to prove his strength, Yoosung marched over to the stalk and gripped it with both hands. Tensing his muscles, he pulled.

And nothing happened. Surprised, Yoosung stared at the plant. "Huh?"

"Try again!" Rika encouraged, following after him. The sun beat down on the back of her neck, her clothes sticking to her skin uncomfortably. A cold shower would be nice after this.

"Yeah!" Planting his feet firmly into the ground, he growled as he pulled on the stalk. It crackled under his grip, the stalk slowly breaking, yet the plant remained secure in the soil. Yoosung grunted, but no matter how he changed his posture, it refused to move.

Rika blinked. Now, this was strange. While her cousin wasn't the most athletic, a sunflower shouldn't cause this much trouble. Rolling up her sleeves, she stood next to him. "Here, I'll help."

Yoosung frowned, ready to protest, but he couldn't deny the facts. Grumpily, he shifted his hands, clearing a space for her to grab. "Thanks," he mumbled, his ears red from embarrassment.

"This is what volunteering is about, helping each other," Rika replied tactfully. "On three—ready? One, two, pull!"

Synchronized, they leaned back as they pulled. The sunflower stalk splintered in their hands in a massive crack, snapping as their muscles strained. Still, the flower refused to budge. Even while seemingly dead, the sunflower didn't want to leave its home, no matter how harsh it was to live there. Rika dug her heels in. The earth shook from the pressure before finally giving in, releasing the sunflower and its maze of roots. Surprised, Rika and Yoosung fell backwards onto the lawn.

"Oof!" Yoosung gasped as his butt hit the ground. The sunflower stalk was still in his hands and he stared in shock. "We got it."

"We did." Rika rubbed her sore behind, looking back at the hole in the soil. It shouldn't have been so hard. Maybe the earth was more packed in than she had expected.

"We did it!" Yoosung leaped to his feet, holding his trophy above him. He shook it and dirt rained down on his hair. Immediately, he dropped it, his hands running through his hair to clean it. "Oh my god, are there any worms? Bugs?"

Laughing, she got up and reached for his head. He still hadn't had his growth spurt yet, their heights almost identical. "Lean closer, I'll take a look."

Obediently, he bent forward, pushing his hair into her hands. His eyes were squeezed close and his hands closed into a tight fist. "Are there any?" he asked in a high-pitched voice, shaking in fear.

"Let me see." Calmly, she parted his hair, brushing through the locks and pulling out clumps of dirt as she inspected him. His black hair was soft in her hands. Humming as she worked, Rika combed through his hair twice before finally releasing him. "All good."

He straightened up, gingerly touching his scalp. Cross-eyed, he impossibly tried to look up at the top of his head. "Thanks."

It was only now that Rika realized just how dirty her cousin had become. "You're a mess!" Quickly, Rika dusted off his shoulders and shirt. It didn't help—instead, it made things worse as the dirt smeared against his blue t-shirt. With a sigh, she gave up and set her hands on her hips. "Auntie isn't going to be happy."

"Huh?" Yoosung stared down at his shirt, pulling at the hem until he witnessed the extent of the damage. His eyes widened before he covered his face with a moan. "Mom'll never let me live this down."

"I guess she won't let you volunteer with me anymore," Rika sighed ruefully. While her aunt was kind, that could only go so far and if she was anything like Rika's mother…

"No, it'll be fine!" Sensing her distress, Yoosung vehemently shook his head. "Mom's happy you take me out with you—I don't get enough sun otherwise, according to her."

"Really?" Surprised, Rika stared at him. Could anyone be fine with their kid coming home a mess?

"Yeah, really." Yoosung grinned brightly. He reached out and clasped her hands. "She actually wants you to take me out _more_."

Rika didn't know what to say. It must have been nice, growing up with Auntie. Overcome, she squeezed his hands back. Yoosung's stomach grumbled at that very moment and he blushed. Letting go of her, he turned away and marched stiffly to the closest bench. "So. Lunch."

Laughing, Rika followed him. His backpack and her picnic basket were sitting on the metal grate. The tree's shadows created a lattice network of naked branches on the ground. Sitting down next to her basket, she rummaged through her basket, taking out plates and cups. She passed them to Yoosung, who neatly set them next to him. "I made sandwiches."

"Nice!" Yoosung took one of the carefully wrapped sandwiches, peeling back the paper towel and saran wrap to reveal the white bread inside. Biting it, he moaned happily. "This is _amazing!_"

"I'm glad you like it." Rika brushed a lock behind her ear, pleased. "V helped me with them, he made the sauce."

"That's…good." Yoosung's face fell, his voice stilted.

It was something Rika had noticed before, but she wasn't sure she completely understood it. "You don't like it?"

"No, no, it's great!" He rapidly took bite after bite of the sandwich, stuffing his face. "It's delicious."

"Okay." Rika watched him for a moment, concerned. When he didn't say anything else, she took a sandwich of her own. Glancing around the abandoned garden, she took note of the leafless trees, the withered plants. There was a desolate beauty to the place and she could just picture her boyfriend with his tripod, focusing on the perfect shot. "V would like it here."

Yoosung's lips twisted, looking like he bit something sour. "Too bad he's not here."

Twice. This had happened twice and both times when she'd mentioned V. Scrutinizing her cousin, Rika delicately asked, "What do you think of V?"

Yoosung choked, dropping his sandwich on his lap at the unexpected question. As he coughed, Rika pushed a water bottle in his hand. Her other hand patted his back gently, trying to dislodge the obstruction.

He downed the water in three big gulps. Breathing heavily, he stared at her like a deer in the headlights. "What?"

She wasn't sure if she wanted to ask the question anymore but if his reaction was like that, she had to find out the truth. "What do you think of V?"

"He's…nice…and kind…" Yoosung mumbled, wiping the water from his mouth. He averted his gaze as he picked the sandwich off his lap. "And a good photographer."

"Did he do something to you?" Concerned, she squeezed his shoulder. "You can tell me."

"What?" Startled, Yoosung shook his head quickly. "Nothing—why'd you think that?"

"Because of how you're acting." Rika pulled back, perplexed. If V didn't do anything to Yoosung, then why did her cousin have such an extreme reaction? "You don't like him." She hadn't meant to say that, but as they left her tongue, the words rang true. Finally understanding, she repeated, "You don't like him."

"What? No! That's—" Yoosung stuttered. When it was clear she didn't buy it, he hung his head in defeat. "Maybe just a little."

"A little?" she asked.

"A little," he confirmed, indicating the amount with the distance between his thumb and forefinger. After a moment, he increased the distance. "…more than a little."

"Why?" Rika asked, pressing her hands against her skirt. Her fingers clenched against the fabric as she waited for his answer.

"I…I dunno." Uncomfortable, Yoosung peeked at her and then stared down at his lap. "I…just do."

"Oh." It was…not disappointing, to be exact. Sad? Her heart clenched. He didn't like V. Her two favourite people couldn't be together. "That's…"

"But…" Yoosung interrupted. "You love him."

Not sure where he was taking this, she nodded. Like. Love. She wasn't sure she had a word that could describe her feelings, these emotions that threatened to overwhelm her at times. Brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, she gave a small smile. "I do."

Puffing his cheeks, Yoosung looked away. Begrudgingly, he raised his hand again. The gap between his fingers was almost minute now. "Then…I can like him too."

The feeling that overwhelmed her this time was love, was happiness, was joy. Without thinking, she lunged at him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Her cheeks were wet with tears as she pressed her face into his shoulder. "Yoosung!"

"Rika?" Struggling to adjust to the added weight, Yoosung grabbed hold of the bench.

"I'm just…" She didn't know what to say. Long ago, she had assumed that she'd be lucky if even one person accepted her. And now she had two. "Thank you."

"It's…nothing." Awkwardly, he patted her back. His stomach gurgled again, and she could feel more than see his skin turning red. "Not again!"

This time her stomach grumbled as well, reminding her about the lunch that they both seemingly had forgotten in her excitement. Pulling back, she wiped her eyes. "Come on, let's finish eating."


End file.
